In Her Image
by vanityfair
Summary: A tryst in the closet has a surprising twist. Oneshot.


**In Her Image**

"You know I've always had these sordid little fantasies about you, Severus," Tonks said as she worked at the buttons of her robe. He watched her, undoing his own with more precision.

"I bet," he answered. He knew the only reason she was in this broom closet with him was because Lupin wouldn't satisfy her. Couldn't rather, he liked to think.

"No really." She paused and looked up at him. "I seem destined to fall for the tragic hero types. Glamorous in books, but hell in real life."

He kissed her then. What was it about this last year that women started throwing themselves at him, calling him their hero? Maybe it was the war. Dangerous times made people do strange things, like solicit his company. If he had known this would have happened he wouldn't have worked so hard to protect Potter from the Dark Lord.

He hadn't taken Narcissa's offer of anything more than a spoken thank you since he hadn't really done anything more than make a promise at this point. But he wondered what she would agree to if he was successful. Narcissa always had been attracted to powerful men, and he certainly would have proved himself with that. For now, however, he concentrated on the Auror he had in a closet at Twelve, Grimmauld Place.

"You call this hell?" he asked, trailing his lips up to her ear. She had managed to get her robes undone for the most part, but the pink hair would have to go.

"Heaven, absolute heaven." Her eyes were closed, and he knew she wasn't picturing his beaky nose and greasy hair in her mind's eye. He had seen the look on her face after the meeting that night when Lupin had snubbed her.

"Oh, it will be, my dear. But first there are changes to be made." If she wanted to think of another then so could he. Her eyes flew open, sparkling with pride. He knew that she loved showing off her particular talent to anyone who would watch. It was one of the things that irritated him the most about her, in fact.

"Hair--longer and less pink," he ordered her. She smiled, and within seconds it had grew to her shoulders, the color of autumn leaves.

"Do you like red heads, Severus?" she asked in a throaty whisper. He shook his head. She looked too much like Lily. It was bad enough that he was in here with Remus' girl, he didn't want her looking like James' wife. No, he wanted someone special. Someone who belonged to no one else. Someone young and fresh and still innocent.

"Darker." She complied. "More wave to it." There, it was perfect.

"And your eyes, they should be brown. The nose, smaller and more pert." He contemplated asking her to change her teeth, but thought that might be a bit of a give away.

"How's that?" she asked, looking up at him expectantly. It was the look that did him in, that flawless imitation of her forever seeking his approval.

"Perfect." He pushed her back into the wall, resting his weight on her, and kissed her again. Her arms snaked up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him even closer.

She was a noisy one. Not that he was surprised at that, but someone might have heard them. Just because Remus had moved out, and the Weasleys had gone back to the Burrow, did not mean that Minerva or Albus or someone else for that matter hadn't lingered after the meeting. It was a fitting end to headquarters, Severus thought, as Tonks slid her tongue down his throat--shagging Lupin's love under his nose in Black's house. But then she spoke again.

"Oh, Remus," she murmured as his hands ventured lower. Severus knew it, but hearing it out loud was like a slap to the face. His face twisted in anger as he stepped back from her.

"Severus, I didn't mean..."

"Yes, you did. Get out," he hissed.

"Severus, please, I'm sorry." She fumbled to put her robes back in place. Her hands smoother over her hair, the frizzy mane he had asked her to change it to sticking out at odd angles where he had run his hands through it. The fact that he was just as guilty as she was didn't ease his anger. She had ruined the moment of pretend for both of them.

"Now! Before you see why I became a Death Eater in the first place."

She stumbled out of the closet. The sudden bright light made Severus squint, but he could see that someone had heard them and had come to investigate.

"Hermione? What are you doing 'ere?" He heard Mundungus ask Tonks. Severus clenched his fists. They had been found out, in more ways than one. Tonks turned around to him where he stood, still in the closet, with a look of shock and horror on her face.

"That's sick!" she exclaimed.

"Better a student than a werewolf," he retorted, reaching out and slamming the door closed. He wanted some privacy to dress. And he didn't need Tonks or Mundungus judging him. She hadn't been that great anyway, he thought viciously as he buttoned his robes. He imagined the real thing wouldn't be so clumsy. She would be perfect. And someday she would be his.


End file.
